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Donald Trump, our first millennial president

Catherine Rampell
on Oct 24, 2017

He did it with hurricane victims in Puerto Rico and Houston, yes. But also with fallen U.S. service members and a pregnant Gold Star widow; NFL players peacefully protesting systemic racism; a Coast Guard graduation; the stock market; international relations; and the Las Vegas shooting.

Even Black History month was, improbably, all about him. It's almost like he's trying to parody a character on "Girls."

Millennial Trump overshares constantly on social media, sometimes even Instagramming his food. He live-tweets his favorite TV show instead of getting real work done. Although no longer a minor, he still requires constant helicopter parenting from the grown-ups around him, as if he's in an adult day care.

And like a typecast whiny millennial, he can't tolerate speech that hurts his feewings. Words that offend him are "unfair," "frankly disgusting," "bad for (the) country." He then tries every weapon available to shut down those words.

Compared with illiberal college students, though, he has a much bigger arsenal.

During the presidential campaign Trump encouraged mob violence against critics, and pledged to "open up our libel laws" against journalists covering him. Since taking office, he has attempted to use government power to turn the entire country into his personal safe space.

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Last month, the White House called on ESPN to fire a commentator who criticized the president. Trump personally demanded that the Senate Intelligence Committee investigate media outlets he dislikes and suggested that networks should have their broadcast licenses revoked. Perhaps unsurprisingly, in subsequent days a Morning Consult poll found that half of Republicans agreed with him.

Huh. It's almost as if 19-year-olds aren't actually the country's greatest threat to the First Amendment.

In keeping with his crybully cohort, Trump casts himself as a perpetual victim, the uncontested winner of the oppression Olympics. He claims to be obstructed at every turn by cruel Democrats, establishment elites, media effetes and the Deep State.

Yet somehow amid all these challenges, he still manages to be the most accomplished president in history! No wonder he wants a trophy.